Posted!

Join the Nation's Conversation

This conversation is moderated according to USA TODAY's
community rules.
Please read the rules before joining the discussion.

The world's most spectacular new bridges

Uruguay's Laguna Garzón Bridge brings a roundabout to a bridge, creating a doughnut-shaped crossing in the middle of a coastal lagoon. Román Viñoly

None

Uruguay's Laguna Garzón Bridge brings a roundabout to a bridge, creating a doughnut-shaped crossing in the middle of a coastal lagoon.
Román Viñoly

The Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge crosses the Colorado River. It opened in 2010, about 1,500 feet downstream from the Hoover Dam. Shutterstock

None

The Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge crosses the Colorado River. It opened in 2010, about 1,500 feet downstream from the Hoover Dam.
Shutterstock

The Lucky Knot Bridge in Changsha, China, combines several foot bridges in a colorful red steel span that seems to dance across the water. Julien Lanoo, NEXT Architects

None

The Lucky Knot Bridge in Changsha, China, combines several foot bridges in a colorful red steel span that seems to dance across the water.
Julien Lanoo, NEXT Architects

The six-lane Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam, puts on a show, changing colors and spitting fire and water from a dragon head, making it an instant landmark when it opened in 2013. Shutterstock

None

The six-lane Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam, puts on a show, changing colors and spitting fire and water from a dragon head, making it an instant landmark when it opened in 2013.
Shutterstock

The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China crosses over a gorge nearly 1,000 feet deep. When it opened in 2016, it attracted such crowds that it had to close briefly to add facilities for visitors. Shao Ying, EPA

None

The Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China crosses over a gorge nearly 1,000 feet deep. When it opened in 2016, it attracted such crowds that it had to close briefly to add facilities for visitors.
Shao Ying, EPA

The main tower on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory in Prospect, Maine, is modeled on the Washington Monument, which was built with granite from the area. It opened in 2006 as the tallest public observatory on a bridge. FIGG Bridge Group

None

The main tower on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory in Prospect, Maine, is modeled on the Washington Monument, which was built with granite from the area. It opened in 2006 as the tallest public observatory on a bridge.
FIGG Bridge Group

The Chameau footbridge in Haiti has been a literal lifeline for rural villagers, serving more than 40,000 people per year since completion in 2015. It’s just one of hundreds of footbridges around the world supported by Denver-based non-profit Bridges to Prosperity. Bridges to Prosperity

None

The Chameau footbridge in Haiti has been a literal lifeline for rural villagers, serving more than 40,000 people per year since completion in 2015. It’s just one of hundreds of footbridges around the world supported by Denver-based non-profit Bridges to Prosperity.
Bridges to Prosperity

The Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is a combination cable-stayed bridge, viaduct and drawbridge, with virtually no straight angles. Gnoparus

None

The Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, Netherlands, is a combination cable-stayed bridge, viaduct and drawbridge, with virtually no straight angles.
Gnoparus

When completed in 2020, Chenab Bridge in India will be the world’s tallest railway bridge, and one of the longest. WSP

None

When completed in 2020, Chenab Bridge in India will be the world’s tallest railway bridge, and one of the longest.
WSP

The East Span of San Francisco's Bay Bridge, which opened in 2013, replaced a crossing damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, and is now one of the world’s widest bridges. The retrofitted West Span has a claim to fame too: It’s the world’s largest light art installation, illuminated by 25,000 individually programmed LEDs. Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

None

The East Span of San Francisco's Bay Bridge, which opened in 2013, replaced a crossing damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, and is now one of the world’s widest bridges. The retrofitted West Span has a claim to fame too: It’s the world’s largest light art installation, illuminated by 25,000 individually programmed LEDs.
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries: